Nigeria and Russia have agreed to renegotiate their 1967 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to reflect developments in the global aviation industry and create new opportunities for cooperation between both countries.
The agreement followed a high-level bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Dmitry Stanislavovich Zverev, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Russia.
According to the special adviser to the Minister on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood who disclosed this in a press release, both countries agreed to conclude negotiations and sign a new agreement in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in April 2027.
To achieve this, the two sides have constituted negotiating teams to begin work immediately, with a six-month timeline set for the completion of the process.
The proposed agreement is expected to provide an updated framework for air transport relations between Nigeria and Russia, while creating opportunities for improved air connectivity, institutional collaboration and mutually beneficial engagements between their aviation sectors.
Beyond the renegotiation of the BASA, the meeting also explored other areas of potential cooperation in aviation and related sectors, with both countries expressing their commitment to examining the opportunities in the coming months.
The Nigerian delegation included the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; the Registrar of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Dr. Danjuma Adamu Ismaila; and directors from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the NCAA.
The existing BASA, which dates back to 1967, is expected to be replaced with a new agreement that reflects contemporary developments and emerging opportunities in international aviation.
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